Madame Chic has a new fan!!! Moi!

Over on my Facebook page (and I know many of you don’t like the FB thingie, but I do post some shorty jewels over there, and it doesn’t mean you have to troll Facebook to see it, usually a message will go out to you via email), but anyway, I found this cute little video and thinking well, I’ll come back to that cause it really intrigued my curiosity.

So I spent some time last night perusing through and finding this book:

First of all the title is totally charming, but secondly, the book is a REAL FIND.Folks, I’m here to tell you – this is exactly what I’ve been talking about with my investment wardrobe and closet orgainzing. Those of you who are subscribers have had the benefit of my e-book on how to organize your closet – the clear steps you can take to get from jammed to orgainzed and how not only much simpler yyour life can be, but also how much happier you will be.Sounds totall weird doesn’t it – less clothes=happier about your wardrobe, but let me tell you – IT WORKS!!!!

And yes, I’m screaming!

In one of her chapters she talks about the famous 10-Item Wardrobe and her adjustment from the jammed packed closet in America to the VERY modest wardrobe in France while she was there scouting around. This is totally a European thing. And one of the hugests secrets of all time is the mannequins who spend all their money on designer clothes. Now the mannequins I’m talking about are those lovely models that designers use when they start draping or working their designs on models. Like this:

Now how could these gals afford all those gorgeous clothes. (If you don’t believe that they bought them, then go read Grace Coddington’s book which is a fabulous read about fashion). How do they do it? They buy very discriminatory and they are very, very careful with each purchase. They also wear the garment several different ways and are ruthless about mixing and matching.This is an art that is so lost in today’s America, that to even speak it is like saying the “n word” or to be labeled “racist”! Why? What’s wrong with having a wardrobe of a few things and making it work? Is this some sort of disease that is so horrid that it makes us out to be lesser than who we areally are?I hate this sort of reasoning – actually it’s not reasoning at all. Cause here’s the kicker in this. Not only do you dress better, but you look better. But more than that – and I almost hate to say this cause you’re really not going to believe me when I say it….it’s so far economical, you won’t believe it.

Here’s a thought – Zara owner is third richest person in the world. Do you think he got to be that way because he was selling stuff with a very small margin on it?…..or do you think he got that way by selling clothes on a seasonal basis (IOW, you buy an item in the fall and another one in the spring only so that you can seasonally update your wardrobe), or do you think he got that way because his company markets new fashion every 2 weeks? Do you think that buying clothes more often is a more luxurious form of dressing or buying well-thought-out clothing once a season is more luxurious?

Although you’re brain is telling you one thing (what in the world am I buying all these clothes for), I bet your heart and your gut is telling you another (because marketing & advertising is telling you that you must buy something every 2 weeks to be happy)!!!!!

SNAP OUT OF IT!!!!

Buying a lot of clothes and living with a closet jammed full of clothes you don’t like, don’t make you happy, don’t wear is not a way to be happy!

There are a lot of ways toward this, and cleaning out your closet is the place to start. That’s why I’m always saying for folks who come to me for the first time, and I start quizzing them about what they want to wear and what they want their closet to do for them, I always say – “Clean out your closet!” first, because this is the best place to guide you on what you need and where the holes are and aren’t.

For Mme. Chic here are her recommendations:

Do I still like this?

Do I ever wear this?

Does it still fit and flatter me?

Does this still reflect who I am?

Here is Mme. Chic’s definition of the Ten-Item Wardrobe:

Don’t panic. You don’t need to take the ten-item wardrobe literally. Remember, Famille Chic were not the sort to beat themselves up over a regime — certainly not over diet or exercise and definitely not over their wardrobe. So do what works for you. The point of the ten-item wardrobe is to free yourself from a jam-packed closet full of ill-fitting, underused, or poor-quality clothing. Your ultimate goal is to create a wardrobe that you love, in which every item of clothing speaks to who you are, and to create a space for your clothes to breathe — by eliminating clutter!

So see this isn’t all that hard. What is happening here is that you’re weaning yourself from that horrid junky stuff that is stuffing your closet full of just stuff that you aren’t wearing, you don’t like and that isn’t good for anything other than taking up space and messing up your wardrobe head.

OK – I rant long enough….the book is a wonderful read and if nothing else, watch this darling little video from Ms. Scott and you get a real sense that there’s a better life out there for your wardrobe.

2 Comments

Wow, another eye opener you have sent us Claire!!!! I have read this before, but it finally has sunk in….I have tooo much in my closet. It is time to donate everything I haven’t worn in years, and wear what I love but wanted to save for “the perfect occasion.” This concept is so uplifting and fits into my spring cleaning theme this year! Thanks for sharing this delightful video!